Drahichyn: police hinder ‘Dziady’ - action of commemoration

The planned works on cleaning and paying tribute to the grave sites of participants of national uprising of 1863 was called off in Drahichyn (Brest region).

Uladzimer Kazeka, head of Drahichyn group of the Belarusian Popular Front, who initiated Dziady action, told to RFE/RL that it was planned to erect a cross in memory of the killed people.

‘These graves were kept in order in 1937. Then they were neglected later. The crosses decayed. We decided we must establish a new one. We agreed to make it on Saturday, and hold a small meeting today,’ Uladzimer Kazeka said.

According to Kazeka, policemen learnt about the preparation for Dziady. They searched Uladzimer Kazeka’s apartment on Friday, seized 2000 copies of special issue of Tut i Tsiaper newspaper. On Saturday and today, a district police officer has been watching outside the house, where Uladzimer Kazeka lives. All other activists of Drahichyn have been warned of possible detentions.